markymark Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Hello everyone, A long time lurker - first time poster here! We've used much of the advice on this forum to help apply and get my Partner Visa for Oz (thank you everyone!) but we have a problem at the last minute which is really worrying me and which I hope some of you may have had experience with. I'm British, my partner is dual nationality: British and Australian. We applied for, and got, permanent residency for me on a partnership visa, which comes with a "must enter Australia by" date of May 16th of this year. We're about to migrate, leaving at easter and travelling around the world for 5 weeks whilst our stuff is being shipped. So far, so lucky us. Whenever we travel together around Europe, my partner travels on his UK passport. Yesterday we dug out and dusted off his Aussie passport and to our horror it expired earlier this month. So my question is; when it comes to the last leg of our journey (from NZ to Oz) what do we do?? I know he has to cross the Australian border with his Australian passport, and I am concerned that my partner visa is also tethered to this. I don't think an Aussie can get a visa to enter Australia on a foreign passport, and I understand Border Security are rightly quite strict about this. So, as his Australian passport has now expired, how do we get in? We leave in two weeks, so I'm not sure it will be possible to get a new Aussie passport in time. Any ideas? HELP! :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Did you already contact the Australian consulate in London? https://www.passports.gov.au/web/faq.aspx We are equally committed to prompt processing of passport applications made overseas at any Australian diplomatic or consular mission. In most cases an eligible applicant's full validity passport will be available for collection or despatch from the mission within ten working days of a passport interview if all our requirements are met. It will be issued by one of our passport production centres - London, Washington, or Canberra. You should allow extra time for local mail delivery if you have requested that the passport be mailed to you. If you cannot wait ten working days for a full validity passport, the mission can issue an emergency passport to cover urgent travel needs. There is no application fee for issuing an emergency passport but you need to pay a priority processing fee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markymark Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 Thanks Mungbean, I had heard about the 10 working day turn around (which is more working days than we have left in the UK because of Good Friday) but I hadn't heard about an emergency passport before. I will look in to this straight away. I must admit that I was surprised that my "Must enter" date is later than the validity of my partner's passport. I assume if he travels on a newer passport it doesn't affect my visa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Good Friday and Easter Monday are both holidays in Aus and in the UK right? No time to lose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markymark Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 Easter Monday is our departure date! ARGH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 ARGH indeed. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I must admit that I was surprised that my "Must enter" date is later than the validity of my partner's passport. I assume if he travels on a newer passport it doesn't affect my visa? Its got nothing to do with his passport. You can get a Spouse Visa without him even having a passport Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markymark Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 Thanks for your reassurance @Nemesis. I'm note sure I could handle going through the visa application process again!! For anyone reading this in the same predicament, here's the page on renewing or replacing expired Aussie passports in the UK. We are paying the 2-day premium but should get his passport back in time before we vacate our flat and leave the UK for our new life in Sydney: http://uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/Pportfees.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CollegeGirl Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Yes, Nemesis is correct - your visa is not at all tethered to your partner's passport, so no need to worry on that front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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